Tibet to reopen to tourists on May 1

LHASA -- Tibet will reopen to tourists from both home and abroad on May 1, the region's Bureau of Tourism announced on Thursday.

Zhanor, the bureau's deputy director, said all travel agencies would be allowed to arrange tours, and independent travelers would also be welcome.

The regional government stopped issuing tourist permits to foreign travelers on March 16 and the bureau recommended Chinese travel agencies postpone tour plans after the March 14 riot in Lhasa.

Zhang Qingli, secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China, said earlier that normal social order should be brought back as soon as possible to embrace for tourist arrivals during the International Labor Day holiday.

Tibet's "open image and sound environment" would be presented to the visitors, the official said.